Things I've been up to lately...

Sorry I've been away for so long- I went on vacation for a bit. While on vacation, I picked up yet another interesting hobby- latchhooking!!!:-)... I also learned how to use a sewing machine!!!:-)... That was a lot of fun.

So, what have I been up to? I've been working on an embroidered pillow. I've done the first flower, and already made a mistake...lol...I ripped out the first mistake, but I'm leaving the other one in, b/c it doesn't really show lol...

What have you all been up to? I'd love to see/hear :-)

And the winner is...

Waterdew!!!

Congratulations on winning. Your ball of thread will go out in the mail sometime next week! Please take some pics when you make something out of it.

Thanks everyone for entering!!! It was really exciting and fun to pull the winner.

Giveaway

Hi all,

I am sponsoring a giveaway. Comment below for a chance to win one 10g ball of DMC Perle Cotton in size 8. It's a beautiful navy blue color. All you have to do is comment below. I will then draw the names out of a bowl, and the winner will be announced on my blog. The comments period will end at midnight on September 9th, and I will do the drawing on Friday September 10th.

Hope you all like this giveaway!!!:-)...

Sock Loom

You're probably wondering what the picture is of. I won't keep you in suspense any longer- it's my brand new sock loom!!!:-)...

I have always wanted to learn how to knit or crochet socks, but for some reason, I never got around to doing it. I have loom knitted hats in the past, but never a sock. This loom is by Knitting Board, and it came with a DVD that shows you how to use the loom. I think knitting the heel and toe will be the hardest/trickiest part, but hopefully it turns out okay.

I have also been playing around with my new tatting shuttle. It's a wooden one with a crochet hook on one end, and it appears to be vintage. The opening for the thread is very narrow, and so it won't accomodate size 10 thread, but it works pretty well for size 80, and Lizbeth thread. It's a nice lightweight shuttle.

Well, what have you all been up to? Keep me posted!!!:-)...

Tatted Candy Cane Doily

Hi all, what have you been up to? Lately I have been tatting a candy cane-inspired doily for the holiday season. It is sure to brighten up your home decor. It is my own pattern. I tried adding an extra round, but after a few rings and chains, I didn't like the look of it, so I left it as is. It is available for sale in my etsy store- www.artikaur.etsy.com

What do you think of it? It is a very simple doily, made out of size 10 crochet cotton thread, and I can make it in other colors. What other color combos do you think people would like? Do you think doilies are outdated? Would anyone buy it? I guess only time will tell :-)

Tatted Doily

Here is a doily that I have started to make using my grandmother's tatting thread. The thread is ecru, and because it is vintage, sometimes it gets knotted, which can make it tricky to tat with. I am currently adding another round to this doily, and am thinking of adding a fourth round with clover leaves after that. The pattern is my own.

Let me know what you think of it.

My lil hedgie

Hi all, It's been a while since I last posted. Here's what I've been up to- I've been embroidering this lil hedgehog. It was a free kit with a cross-stitching magazine. I still have to finish up the other bumble bee, and his other foot, and outline the whole thing in black in backstitch.

What do you guys think of it? What have you all been up to?

What I've been up to lately...

New projects I'm working on:- For some odd reason, I've picked up my interest in cross stitching once again. I'm working on a bookmark and a Margaret Sherry Hedgehog kit that I got free with a cross stitching magazine. I was a bit disappointed in the free kit- it did not come with enough peach thread, and now my hedgie has an weird-looking face.

What have you guys been up to???

La Belle Smoke

The other day I was in Michael's, when I came across a package of craft thread in various colors. Although probably not the best thread for tatting (it is a bit fuzzy, and not as crisp as a cordonnet), it still worked sufficiently well for me to tat up a pendant out of it. I added some very pretty hot pink seed beads, and a black velvet cord necklace. I used a commercial necklace, but the extender looked a bit unfinished to me, so I added a small white faux pearl. I think it gives it a more completed look.

In other news, I have sent out my very first tatting exchange!!! I am so excited, and I hope it reaches its recipient by the end of this week.

Thanks for looking!!!:-)... Let me know what you are working on...

Monogramming...

So, I recently purchased a vintage pattern on etsy for making letters. I practiced making my own inititials, and am working on attaching it to a small drawstring bag I got when I purchased some earrings. I do not usually store my jewellry in bags, so I didn't know what to do with the bag, but I've decided I will use it as a tatting bag. When I finish it, I will try to post it up on here, so hopefully I can get some feedback.

I also added a new necklace to the etsy store- it's a green tatted triangular motif. I made it out of yarn using my Tatsy shuttle. The shuttle was weird to work with since it was so big, and took some getting used to, but I love the results!!! (See photo above, or else you can check it out at the store at www.artikaur.etsy.com) The pattern is an antique pattern I obtained online. I think it looks nice as a pendant, but I guess you could also make it work as earrings.

Since my last posting, I have also learned how to do thrown/floating rings off of a chain!!! I am working on a small purple/white doily. I like the new look of the chains with floating rings attached- really adds drama to the piece!!!:-)...

I wish I had more photos to share, but I am so tired right now, and feeling too lazy to take pics of stuff lol...

Well, let me know what you guys have been working on!!!:-)...

Thanks so much for looking!!!:-)...

Happy 2010!!!:-)...

Hi everyone- I realize I have not posted in a very long time, but I was busy with exams, and the holidays. Because I am snowed in, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on my blogging.

I made this Sunbonnet Sue pincushion using ordinary felt and embroidery floss. I stuffed it with cotton balls, and decorated it with an off-white tatted medallion I had lying around the house. I blanket stitched around the edges, but had to use invisible thread to ensure that the pincushion was closed thoroughly, so the cotton wouldn't come out. This pincushion is available for sale at my etsy store- www.artikaur.etsy.com

This is a Sunbonnet Sue needlecase I made using a vintage pattern. I had to adapt the pattern to my needs because I didn't have some of the fabric/materials mentioned, and I was using different sized threads than what the pattern had originally called for.

Below is the interior of the case.

The pattern for the case was the inspiration for creating the Sunbonnet Sue pincushion.

I made this doily from a pure white (possibly bamboo?) thread. I believe it is a size 10 thread. I got the pattern off of the internet. This is the first all-tatted doily I've ever made, and I made a ton of mistakes. Thankfully, there are so many picots and chains that they are well hidden. I had to starch this doily to untwist some of the picots. I pinned the entire thing down to a styrofoam board, sprayed it with some household starch, and then let it air dry. I did not iron it. The starch gave it a nice, light crispness, but I think hairspray or heavy starch would have given it a nicer "heaviness," but there was no way I was pinning it all over again...hehe lol...

I made this doily using a readymade doily with what appeared to be a machine-embroidered babychick. I edged it using a size 10 burgundy thread (shuttle tatted), and then I attached it by sewing it on using the unworked thread spaces.

Well, what have you been working on? Let me know by commenting below!!!